A (Scary) Story
by SoupTea
Summary: The storm knocked out power, but that won't stop Team Galactic from celebrating Halloween.


It is a dark and stormy night. So dark and stormy that a bolt of lightning slices open the bleeding skies, tearing apart the fragile seams of cloud and unloading buckets of rain to the earth below. Thunder sounds like the encroaching steps of a legendary Pokemon as it cuts a path of destruction across the ground.

_**BOOM!**_

"AAH!" Saturn instinctively ducks his head. When he remembers that he's indoors—in the dry, safe walls of the Galactic Headquarters—he straightens and dusts his vests.

Mars is clapping. "Do that again, Saturn!"

Saturn scowls. "Mars, that wasn't funny! Stop laughing! Not everyone has a sick sense of humor like you!"

Mars cocks her head and regards the young man with shining eyes. "Really?" A beam of lightning cleaves the skies in two. "Then what's funny to you, Saturn?"

Saturn glances around before showing Mars the roll of toilet paper in his cabinet. "This," he states proudly. "You know how it's Halloween, right? But we can't trick-or-treat because of the storm. So what I'll do is give the Boss a nice 'trick' by TP-ing his office."

Mars grins. "Gee, you must really want to die, Saturn."

It's the way she delivers that proclamation with such a straight face that sends chills to his stomach. "He's not _that _bad, Mars!" It sounds like he's reassuring himself now. "If we just explain how Halloween works, then he'll understand! Maybe!"

Mars heaves herself on his desk. "Last time those funny kids came over, he gave them the special Galactic Mix." The Commanders both shiver from that memory. "And remember how he gave us poffins last year?"

"Those were pretty good," Saturn mumbles. "He made them himself."

"Yea, but I was looking forward to candy, not Pokemon food." Mars swings her legs in the air and pouts. Saturn sets the roll of toilet paper down. The two stare out the rain-soaked windows in silence.

_Clip. Clop. _Heels click against the floor and stops at his desk. Both Commanders look up to see the mildly surprised Jupiter.

"Saturn," she says. Then she notices his little prank-item. "You can't hold it in?"

"N-No! I mean, it's not what you think, Jupiter!" Saturn snatches the toilet paper back into the safety of his arms. Mars is cracking up. "I'm just… I just… AUGH, Mars! Stop laughing!"

"You were going to prank Cyrus." Jupiter crosses her arms. It's not even a question anymore. Saturn grumbles something into his palms.

"Aw, Saturn, you're bright red like the sun!"

"Mars, stop!" he groans, and the two women laugh.

Thunder grabs the building and shakes it to its core. When the tremors pass, dead silence cries in the air. Except for Mars, who falls backwards, clutching her stomach in breath-stopping laughter. "That was so fun! Like a roller-coaster!"

"Mars." Jupiter messages her temples. "That wasn't… oh, forget it." Some Grunts run up to the older woman for reassurance from the monster storm. "Don't worry," she says. "This place is lightning-proof. It's also earthquake-proof and fire-proof."

"Where's Boss?" Saturn says.

"Working." Jupiter rolls her eyes. "He's on a conference call with a colleague in Kanto."

Mars stops laughing. "But it's Halloween." Her shoulders slump. "I wanted to spend time with him today. It's a special day."

"Don't we all." Jupiter shoots a glare to his office. Saturn simply stares at the toilet paper in his hands.

Then the lights flicker. The grunts freeze in place. _**BOOM!**_The windows rattle like dancing bones. _**BOOM!**_Saturn dives under his desk.

_**BOOM! **_And the world plunges into darkness.

"Everyone, calm down!" Jupiter snaps once chaos breaks out. "Hey! Listen to me!"

"Everyone!" Mars shouts. "Listen up!"

Saturn scrambles to his feet. "Quiet down, Grunts! Don't block the fire exits!"

A cold, sharp voice slices across the cacophony of sound. "Listen to the Commanders."

Everyone, including said Commanders, instantly turn to their attention to the man with the flashlight. "Master Cyrus, sir!" one Grunt exclaims. "You're okay!"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Cyrus shines his light to the ceiling. He stares right through the tiles to the pipes and wires themselves. "There appears to be a problem with the electrical grid. I'll see what's wrong."

Jupiter pinches Saturn's arm. He yelps and runs to Cyrus. "B-Boss! I'll go with you!"

"Very well. I might need some assistance. Where's your coat? Do you have a flashlight? Here, take this one."

"Oooh, this is so exciting." Mars waves to the retreating backs of the two men. "It's like we're cave people. I've always wanted to be a troglodyte."

"No, you don't." Jupiter feels a slight headache coming in. "Let's just hope they get this issue fixed soon."

The Grunts exchange glances. "So I guess no trick-or-treating this year?" someone pipes up.

"Guess not," Jupiter grunts, casting a frown at his bouncing butt. "Unless you're okay with doing it after the holiday, B-2."

B-2's shoulders deflate. Something else also flattens. "Aw. Then that won't be fun."

"It is a tragedy." Mars's face is grim, reflecting a multitude of the Grunts' sentiments. Sometimes Jupiter forgets how the majority of Team Galactic are just children behind an adult's façade. This does not exclude the two Commanders and even that hypocrite sitting on the top.

"They've been gone for some time," a female Grunt by the name of R-8 mutters. "I hope they're okay."

"Of course they are," Jupiter huffs. "Saturn's got Cyrus with him."

And sure enough, the two men re-enter with drenched coats. Saturn is holding Cyrus's toolkit while the latter wipes the hair from his eyes.

"Unfortunately, the entire electrical grid of Veilstone is compromised by the storm." Cyrus takes back his metal box. Jupiter frowns when she notices the oil smears on his hands. "Officials aren't sure when power will return, however."

Then he turns to the gawking Grunts. "You're all done for the day. Go home."

It takes only a second before the room erupts into sound again.

"What did he say?"

"Are we really done for the day?"

"Do we still get paid?"

"The best two hours of my life."

"Monetary compensation is not an issue." Everyone shuts up at Cyrus's voice: soft but loud enough to be heard, powerful enough to command attention. "And yes, this blackout will greatly hinder productivity, so it's more efficient to close up the building for today."

"Um…" B-2 clears his throat. "What about us? We… uh… we live here, Master Cyrus."

Cyrus blinks. "Yes. You all do whatever it is you do. I just don't want to see you working." He links his hands behind his back and waits.

"Yes, sir…" the crowd mutters. Cyrus nods and turns back to his Commanders. Half the room are gearing to go home while the other half are standing around idly.

"Jupiter, Saturn, Mars." Cyrus gives a quick nod at their names. "You too, are done for the day. Do what it is you usually do."

Saturn thinks of the toilet paper on his desk and giggles. The adults cast him a strange look but leaves it at that.

Jupiter catches Cyrus's collar before he can leave. "Don't tell me you're going back to work."

"I have flashlights in my office," is the terse reply. "I need to tally some assets to send back to my associate. Let me go, Jupiter."

"After what you said about taking the day off because of the blackout?" Jupiter's eyes glint in the dimly-lit darkness. "Why don't you heed you own advice for once, you little hypocrite?"

Cyrus frowns. "Commander Jupiter, I am fully aware of what I'm doing—"

"Let's tell ghost stories!" All action halts to acknowledge the youngest Commander. She beams and claps her hands. It's perfect weather to be scared! We can have Halloween in here instead!"

"That's actually not a bad idea." Saturn turns to the adults. "We'll bring out food, blankets, pillows... It'll be fun!"

"Yes!" The remaining Grunts surround the leaders. "Can we do it, please? Pretty please?"

"Ghost stories?" Cyrus's eyes narrow. "As in, stories to incite fear into the listener? Why?"

"Because that's what people do, Cyrus." Jupiter tugs him closer and waggles a finger in his stony face. "If we're not trick-or-treating this year, you can at least host some sort of celebration. Halloween only occurs once a year, after all."

Cyrus's brows are furrowed. "I still do not understand why all of you would intentionally seek fear for cheap thrills."

"Please, Master Cyrus?" B-2 whimpers, his butt jolting as he bounces on his feet.

"Come on, Cyrus, sir!" R-8 shakes her fists and rallies a whole legion of doe-eyed Grunts behind her.

"Let's do it, Boss!" Mars throws her hands in the air. "I want to spend time with each other during Halloween!"

Saturn can't hide the crooked grin from blossoming on his face. "It'll be fun, Boss! We're going to have such a _spooktacular_ time!"

"What… I'm sorry, did you mean 'spectacular?'" Cyrus says, and Mars loses it completely. Saturn's grin widens. The Grunts are laughing. Jupiter is chuckling.

"Come on, Cyrus." The older woman gives him a gentle nudge to the arm. "They're looking forward to finally spending some time with you."

The man rakes his gaze over the crowd. Then he sighs. "Very well. But do refrain from setting fires inside the building. I do not want a repeat of last year's 'Indoor Campfire Experience.'"

* * *

Cyrus looks a bit worried when Saturn drags his entire bedding into the site everyone had unanimously picked to celebrate Halloween: The Boss's office. Mars trails behind with armfuls of nutritionally-defunct foods. Jupiter instructs the Grunts to sit accordingly and not block the exits.

Saturn eyes the man's getup. "Boss, you're still in your work clothes?"

"I usually sleep in this." Cyrus sheds his vest and drapes it on his chair. There's a slight frown on his lips. He moves towards the group, his gaze fixated on Mars's junk food. "I've set up four rubbish bins in case—"

"We get it, Cyrus. Sit down already." Jupiter repeats that again. Cyrus continues to stand there awkwardly before shuffling to take a seat beside a grinning Mars and Saturn.

"You can relax a bit, sir." Saturn notices how stiff Cyrus is, how he's making himself as compact as possible to take up the least amount of space on Saturn's blanket.

"I am fine, Commander." Cyrus waves a dismissive hand. "So how will this work? This ghost story event all of you were so eager to do."

"Well!" B-2 wags a finger in the air. "How about you start off, Boss? You're the scariest-looking one here!"

Cyrus frowns. Everyone surges up to the poor Grunt and slaps him. B-2 tries again, "I-I mean, you really like stories, right, sir? You're a really great speaker! You must have some spine-tingling tales to tell!"

"B-2, get your butt out of my face," R-8 grumbles, kicking him from her blanket. He mutters some sort of half-assed apology.

"Tell us something about ghosts!" Mars chirps, breaking the silence. "Monsters! Werewolves! Vampires with Zubats!"

"Tell us something that'll keep us up at night!" Saturn gives his Boss a reassuring smile.

"Make it up, Cyrus," Jupiter says gently. "You still have an imagination in that big brain of yours, right?"

Everyone's eyes are on him. Cyrus frowns and drops his gaze. They all know that face. It's his thinking face. The moment where some kind of complicated matrix is unraveling in his head.

Then he looks up. "Very well. When I was young, Gra—There was a favorite book of mine… a story so memorable that even the author was ambiguous to whether the events were real at all…

_"In a land far away, there was a doctor. He was a very prestigious individual and prided himself in his profession of saving lives. He had a kind wife and two children: a boy and girl. They decided to move to a land near the sea, and that's when our tale began._

_"It all started when the girl's cat passed away from a truck accident. Around those parts, unsavory rumors whisper of an ancient curse, rooted in the annals of the history itself. The doctor's new friend, a jaded, elderly man, took him to the local pet cemetery… to harness the curse that could bring the dead back to life."_

Cyrus casts his eyes to the hushed crowd. Stone statues stare back at him.

_"The cat returned one day, as foretold by the elderly man. While it retained all the features of the beloved family pet, the doctor knew that something was fundamentally wrong with it. Something… off. However, his daughter cherished it, her blissful ignorance only a fleeting sense of security. Little did he know, the doctor had unwillingly invited an ancient evil into his house… He had broken the barrier between the realms of reality itself."_

Shadows dance across Cyrus's pale face. He lowers his voice_. "'Sometimes dead is better.'"_ (1)

Jupiter has Mars and Saturn in her arms. The Grunts are pressed against each other like sardines in a can. Cyrus continues, _"The next tragedy came all too soon. The doctor's son fell victim to the same accident. Heartbroken, the doctor returned to the pet cemetery with the boy's body. And true to the curse… the boy came back to life._

_ "But this wasn't the cheerful, jubilant child the mother had known… the child that once brimmed with life. No, something wasn't right with this… this _thing _her husband had dragged back from the forest. She was frightened. She raced home… only to perish under the abomination's grudge." _

_**BOOM!**_

_"The doctor, consumed by grief and what reason he had left, ended his creation by a needle to the neck. The bodies were quickly disposed. He was so methodical that authorities never linked him to the missing people… never suspected him of foul play."_

Cyrus laces his hands, causing everyone to jump. _"But every action has its consequence," _he murmurs, his voice strangely hollow. _"After the deed was done, the doctor challenged himself to a round of cards… facing against his own delusion. He was losing when he heard footsteps. He felt a cold hand on his shoulder. _

_"'Darling,' his wife said, her voice grating and full of dirt." (2)_

_**BOOM! **_

Cyrus's face is engulfed in shadow. When he lifts his head, his teeth catch in the light, glistening the starkest shade of white. His cheekbones cut through the darkness, slashing through the audience's raw hearts.

_"'What you buy is what you own,''" _Cyrus says with what everyone believes is the light of madness on his contorting face. _"'And sooner or later what you own will come back to you.'" (3)_

_**KABOOOOMM! **_

Someone screams. Then everyone screams. And even the skies start screaming. Bodies are thrown across the floor, some diving under blankets, some rushing for the blocked exits.

Cyrus's expression never changes. In fact, he just looks more confused. He leans to adjust the brightness of the sputtering lantern. "What's wrong?" His monotone never cracks. The light shrouds his face in shadow, the darkness contorting with each lift of his lips.

"I-I-vote for a d-different story," Saturn yelps, earning a good majority of shaky sentiment. Mars grunts that he's holding her too tightly.

Cyrus drops his gaze to his hands. "Ah. I apologize. That wasn't what you wanted to hear." He lapses into a silence while the storm continues to ravage the outside world.

"I-I-It's nothing bad," Mars says with a shaky smile. "You're just… really good. Scary good."

"Terrifyingly so," Jupiter murmurs, rubbing the goosebumps on her arms. "What the hell have you been reading, Cyrus?"

"It was a while ago, when I was still..." Cyrus shakes his head. "Never mind that. So what do all of you have in mind for the new activity?"

A cursory glance passes around the room. R-8 raises a trembling hand. "How about we all take turns creating a story? Like popcorn-story telling."

"Popcorn?" Saturn hears Cyrus whisper, almost with disbelief.

"That's a great idea, R-8." Jupiter has a crooked smile on her face. Lightning illuminates the sharp contrasts in her eyes. "Who would like to start?"

Cyrus turns. "Saturn. What is a popcorn-reading?"

"You'll see, Boss," the younger man replies with a wink. Cyrus frowns.

"Me!" Mars waves her hands. She sets down her hot chocolate, thinks for a bit, and speaks.

_"Once upon a time, there was a princess named Cyrus—"_

"Excuse me. I don't mean to interrupt, but why am I the princess?"

Jupiter looks at him dead in the eye. "Something wrong with that, Cyrus?"

The man's eyes narrow. "No… I just thought I'd be the villain."

A hush falls over the room. Jupiter clears her throat loudly. "Not this story, Cyrus. Now, you're a princess."

Cyrus blinks. One can see the gears sputtering as he attempts to transcribe the woman's implications. Nevertheless, he just nods and waits for the continuation.

Mars tears a chunk of pretzel with her teeth. _"So the princess named Cyrus was the most beautiful of the land! He was very nice and kind!"_

Jupiter glances at Cyrus's face and chokes back a snort. She holds it in until her sides are splitting.

Meanwhile, Saturn is rubbing his hands. _"The princess was envied by the evil queen named B-2!"_

"Aw, come on." But B-2's cheeks are puffed like a Pachirisu's. "Fine. At least I'll be playing a bigger role, yeesh.

_"The ass-kicking queen B-2 cast a spell on the princess. On the eve of his…" _He looks at the younger man. "How old are you, Boss? I still can't believe you're not thirty yet."

"I don't see how this is relevant to the story," Cyrus mutters. B-2 shrugs and continues.

_"On the eve of his twenty-eighth birthday, the princess—"_

"Excuse me, B-2. Aren't I a bit too old to be a princess? And why specifically on my twe—"

Jupiter smacks the back of his head. Cyrus gasps. "Just listen, Cyrus," she says through gritted teeth.

B-2 snaps his fingers. _"So anyway, on the eve of his twenty-eighth birthday, the princess was to prick his finger on…" _A glance around the room. _"On the spindle of a spinning wheel… and sleep forever!"_

Cyrus is frowning. "Why would I intentionally prick myself—"

Jupiter smacks him again. "Continue, B-2."

It's R-8's turn. _"The evil queen B-2 sent his friend and right-hand R-8 to seek out the young princess and fulfill the prophecy of doom." _She rubs her knuckles together, cackling.

_"The king Mars knew of the plot and sent the princess deep into the woods," _Mars hums.

"Hey, I wanted to be king!"

"Oh well." Mars shrugs. "You snooze you lose, Saturn."

"Arceus, Mars, I see what you did there." Saturn bites his lips. "Fine." He grapples for his train of thought. _"The princess Cyrus was taken into the hands of the grand wizard Saturn. Saturn was the mightiest magician in the land. He taught Cyrus magic to defend himself against the curse."_

"The curse," Cyrus echoes. "I was taught magic. By Saturn."

_"And that's when a prince from a neighboring land happened to see princess Cyrus. The prince felt the need to protect the princess, and the two became friends," _R-8 finishes with a bright smile. "Prince Jupiter!"

The woman's jaw drops. She quickly composes himself and continues, _"Yes. But the prince didn't know that Cyrus was the princess. She only noticed that although Cyrus presented himself as cold and untouchable, he was still very vulnerable under that façade. The prince vowed to protect him with her life." _

Cyrus is staring at the marshmallow Saturn had given him. "Jupiter is the prince." His voice is faint. "Mars is the king. Saturn is the wizard. I am the princess."

"Yes, sir," everyone says as if it's blatantly obvious.

Mars claps her hands in accordance with the thunder. _"But tragedy strikes! The princess had to return to the castle because the king really missed him! No one could've foretold that R-8 was waiting for princess's return. She lured him into a secret room… where the spinning wheel awaited him! And when the princess saw the spinning wheel, he reached for it… and fell to the floor! The curse was finally fulfilled, and the princess fell to a slumber eternal!"_

The room erupts into horrified gasps. The bag of pretzels slips from Saturn's hands. The Grunts are holding each other tight. Jupiter flashes an amused look to the extremely baffled princess in question.

_"B-But," _Saturn says, _"rather than letting the princess fall to his fate alone, the great wizard cast a sleeping spell on the whole kingdom… so the princess will at least have company." _

Cyrus is staring at nothing. B-2 reaches for his thermos and sips loudly. _"But alas! The great and terrible B-2 caught whiff of the wizard's plans! He can't let anyone awaken the sleeping princess! So he covered the castle in thorns! And he didn't half-ass it either!" _B-2 rises to his feet and thrusts his hands in the air. _"Rise, thorns! Rise from the cracks of the earth! Mwahaha!" _

_ "The Princess is hidden in the highest tower behind the maze of thorns," _Jupiter continues softly. Lightning illuminates the skies. _"The land is frozen in time… and the spell could be only broken when the sleeping beauty awakens from his eternal slumber." _

Cyrus's neck snaps up so suddenly that everyone recoils as if lightning had struck the room. "I'm sorry?" His normally deep, flat voice had risen two-eighths of an octave.

Jupiter chokes back another snort. _"The __**Sleeping Beauty**__—" _this is emphasized "—_had now fallen to the evil clutches of B-2 and R-8." _Her lips curl when Cyrus's ears begin to burn.

_"The prince from the nearby land heard of this tragedy," _Saturn murmurs. _"The prince hurried back to the kingdom of thorns and fought her way into the fortress of evil."_

Jupiter stands. "Cyrus, can you lie down for me?"

"Lie down." Cyrus's voice is not devoid of emotion right now. And neither is his face. "You want me to lie down. Here. Right now."

Jupiter crosses her arms and waits. After some much needed encouragement/peer pressure from his team, Cyrus reluctantly spreads himself on Saturn's galaxy-themed blanket. The Boss does not look happy, but everyone else is quite enjoying the moment.

"B-2, you stand too." Jupiter grabs an invisible sword and slashes at the nonexistent maze of barbs. Everyone cheers as she cuts a path to the exasperated man on the floor.

_"But before the prince could even reach the princess, the evil queen B-2 transformed into a dragon!" _B-2 makes himself very tall and very non-threatening. His giant posterior bounces with each attempt to breathe fire.

Saturn also rises. _"But the great wizard Saturn grants the prince a magical sword and shield so she can ward off the flames!" _A wave of an imaginary wand. Jupiter smirks as she twirls her sword in the air and brings it down in the crack of B-2's redeeming characteristic. The Grunt lets out the fakest scream this side of Mt. Coronet and collapses on the floor, his tongue rolling down his lips.

_"NOO!" _R-8 climbs to her fallen comrade's giggling body. _"NO! My great and evil benefactor! Oh, woe is me!" _

Mars is shrieking. When she finally calms down enough to make coherent sentences, she says, _"After vanquishing the dragon, the prince climbed the tallest spire. There, she saw the sleeping beauty!"_

The mirth vanishes from the woman's face. _"I said, the prince saw the __**sleeping **__beauty __**sleeping **__with his __**eyes closed!"**_

Everyone turns. "Master Cyrus!"

The man jolts. "Yes? Yes." He struggles to compose himself. And fails. "Yes. What is it?"

"Did you hear anything that Mars said?" Jupiter sighs.

"Of course I did," Cyrus snaps.

"You're supposed to be sleeping, sir," Saturn says.

"Sleep!" Mars waves her hands. "Sleep, Sleeping Beauty! Sleep, so you can see each other again, just like you did once upon a dream!"

"Once upon a—This is ridiculous." Cyrus's grumbling is lost to the booing crowd. After mulling it over for a few seconds, he finally relents and closes his eyes. He looks like he's in great pain, however.

"Now don't open them," R-8 whispers to the silent air. "At least, not until the prince comes."

"How do I know if—" Mars clamps his mouth. Saturn presses his palms over Cyrus's eyes. The man twitches, but the Grunts hold him down.

_"It's okay, my princess," _they say. _"There's nothing to fear. Trust your prince. One day she will come, riding out of the dawn…"_

Their voices are strangely hypnotic, almost dream-like. Cyrus feels their presence leaving him, but he doesn't open his eyes. Someone positions his hands to fold above his chest. The storm outside is worlds away.

_"The prince finally located the sleeping beauty." _Saturn's humming is somewhere in the haze, shifting in and out of the dream. _"But to her, it was too late. The curse had been fulfilled. The princess looks peaceful, his beauty frozen in slumber eternal. Disheartened, the prince hangs her head…"_

_ "I know you," _the prince murmurs, her voice echoing in Cyrus's head. _"I walked with you once upon a dream, remember? And yet, to think that we'll meet again in this living nightmare…"_

_ Jupiter is quite good._ Cyrus finds himself almost… moved. His chest tightens as a shadow falls over him. A soft, gentle hand cups his cheek. It takes most of his willpower not to wake up and flee out the door.

A ghostly choir flutters through the darkness, a song as eerie and angelic like chiming church bells. _"One day she will come… Riding out of the dawn… And you'll awaken to love's first kiss… Til then, Sleeping Beauty, sleep on…_

_ "One day you'll awaken to love's first kiss. Till then, Sleeping Beauty, sleep on…"_

Cyrus's lips suddenly tingle. _Wait. Something isn't right here. It's quiet. Too quiet… _He stumbles around in the darkness. _What were they saying? The prince will come…? And I'll awaken to love's first kiss…?_

_ Love's first… k-i-i-i-i-i-i—_

Something moist and hot slops on his forehead. Cyrus's eyes fly open. He gasps—close to screaming—and scrambles to his hands. The grinning prince and amused audience greets his awakening.

"He's awake!" Mars cries, and the room erupts into cheers and tears. "I knew you'd come back, Master Cyrus!"

"Oh, Boss, you're back!" R-8 wipes her eyes. "You were so in character that we thought you were actually sleeping forever! We were so worried…!"

"Boss is awake! Boss is awake!" Saturn bows the elated audience. "As expected from the Great Saturn!"

The prince extends her hand to the bewildered princess. "Good morning, Sunshine," she says and laughs.

Cyrus blinks. He reluctantly touches his forehead, his fingers hovering above the spot where Jupiter had made contact with her lips not so long ago.

"Cyrus?" Jupiter's voice wavers when the light dies in his eyes. "Cyrus?" She peers into his face with a concerned frown. "Arceus Cyrus, you're burning up."

The room starts forward. "Master Cyrus?"

It's only when thunder shakes the roof that Cyrus snaps back to reality. He buries his face into his sleeves and keeps it there.

"B-Boss?"

"I am fine." Cyrus inhales and exhales until his shoulder relax. He straightens, but there's still a slight flush on his ears. "That was… quite a story. Yes. Quite a story…"

_ "And they all lived happily ever after!" _Mars says, clapping her hands. "Come on, everyone! Give it up for our actors!" The applause grows louder until Cyrus turns away again. There's steam literally hissing from the top of his head.

"Aw, Cyrus." Jupiter nudges his shoulder. "You played a pretty good princess. Give yourself a pat on the back too."

"All I did was pretend to sleep," he mutters to his palms. "And it wasn't even convincing."

"Nonsense!" Saturn says. Cyrus twitches. "You're what the audience was rooting for! And imagine our relief when you finally opened your eyes!"

"You're amazing, sir!" B-2's butt is gleaming in the lantern's illumination. "You had me on the edge of my seat! Literally, one butt's like hanging off—"

R-8 smacks him in the back. "You made me cry, Master Cyrus," she says. "You made a lot of people cry. I was really _feeling _it."

Cyrus blinks. The storm had grown fiercer to the point that the reinforced windows rattle with the blustery winds.

"The storm's not letting up anytime soon," Jupiter murmurs after a quick glance outside. She turns to the gawking Grunts. "What do you all want to do now?"

"Another story?" Mars beams.

Jupiter casts a look at Cyrus. "I think we should opt for something—"

"It's fine." Everyone turns to the Galactic Leader. He clears his throat and tries again, this time making an effort to speak louder. "It's fine. I think it's very creative, what all of you can do with such limited context."

"Boss…"

Cyrus nods. There seems to be something on his mind. "If… if it's not a problem, may I join you again?"

"Of course!" everyone chirps.

Saturn laughs. "You don't even need to ask that, Master Cyrus! It's your office, after all!" Cyrus stares at his Commander before his lips tug upwards, and he coughs a soft chuckle into his sleeve.

And Saturn immediately regrets having the roll of toilet paper on his desk.

"Best Halloween ever." B-2 grabs a fistful of R-8's popcorn. She rolls her eyes.

"What story are we telling now?" Jupiter says once everyone is settled in again. She notices that Cyrus had shared a blanket with Saturn, and the younger boy is leaning against his Boss with a grin. Cyrus is looking at her expectantly like a little child awaiting his bedtime story. The mere thought makes her heart burst into song.

Mars raises a hand. "I have a good one! Okay, people! Listen up!"

The skies are howling, and the winds are shrieking. But right now, all is right with the world. All is warm, and all is bright in the Boss's office in the Galactic Headquarters of Veilstone City.

_"Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there was a princess who was the fairest in all of Sinnoh. His name was Cyrus, and he…"_

* * *

Days pass, and the storm quickly fades into memory. Life returns to normal at the Galactic Headquarters…. normal, in the sense that the Grunts are slacking off again, and the Commanders are having to hide all the canned food from their Boss's prying eyes.

So Saturn is surprised to return to his desk one day to find a sticky note on his computer. He almost stops breathing when he sees those stiff, hand-printed letters on the crisp yellow surface.

_"My office."_

"Oh fu—" Saturn glances around. Mars and Jupiter are still getting lunch, as are a majority of the Grunts. He can't disregard Cyrus's orders. But he also can't face the Grim Reaper alone.

_There it is. His office. _Saturn swallows the cold lump in his throat and raises his hand. But before he even knocks, the door opens, and there's his Boss, cold and intimidating as ever.

"Y-Yes, Master Cyrus? Boss? Sir?" Saturn squeaks. The air is crackling, despite it being a cloudless sky outside.

Cyrus wordlessly holds up the roll of toilet paper. _OH SHI— _Right then and there, Saturn knows he's going to die in the most painful way possible without Cyrus even having to lift a finger.

So imagine his surprise when Cyrus places the roll into Saturn's hands. "You forgot this in my office. Why did you take from the supply in the restrooms? There's no shortage of this at the Department Store." A pause. "This _is _yours, right?"

"Haha… Y-Yep. Yes." Saturn hides his attempted prank behind his back. He bites his lips. _Gee, look at Master Cyrus's shoes. They look kinda like mine. But his are dirtier-_

"Saturn."

"Y-Yes, Boss?"

Cyrus gives him an unreadable look. "You said Halloween is about receiving a trick or a treat, yes?"

"Um… yes?" _Where is he going with this?_

Cyrus absorbs that ambiguous answer and nods. "I see." Another pause. His eyes shift from the flushing Commander and to the windows. "Hold out your hands, Commander Saturn."

_FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUU—_

But when Saturn opens his eyes, he's still perfectly fine. His head is still there. The only new thing is the pack of Pokemon gummi in his hands.

"That's… your treat." Cyrus has his face tilted so his hair obscures his eyes. "I know poffins weren't appropriate for this occasion, so I… Yes. That's yours. I'll give some to the others later."

Saturn remembers to close his jaw. "Master Cyrus…"

The Boss's ears are slightly pink. "That's all," he says, still turned away. "You may leave now."

"O-Okay…"

"Good." An awkward silence follows that word. Cyrus waves Saturn along and hurries back inside his office.

"Sir?"

Cyrus stops. His shoulders are rigid.

Saturn smiles. "Happy Halloween, Boss Cyrus."

Cyrus swivels back to the grinning young man. And as Saturn watches, a soft ray of sunshine passes through that frozen mask, and those hardened eyes crinkle as the ice melts once again.

"Thank you. Happy Halloween, Saturn. Ah, yes. That reminds me. Do you have any ideas for what we can do for the upcoming gift-giving season?"

* * *

**The author feels the need to cite such greatness of a story below.**

1 Pet Sematary, Stephen King

2 Pet Sematary, Stephen King

3 Pet Sematary, Stephen King


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